With Avalanche Pass shut down by a landslide in July, any loop to climb Skylight and Gray Peak involving the pass was out, so we decided on a three-day out-and-back from the Upper Works trailhead. It was a fun trip with cold nights, wet trails, husky dramatics, and summiting both peaks.
Day 1 – Upper Works to Calamity Brook Lean-to
The rebuilt MacNaughton Cottage marks the start of the “new” Upper Works trailhead. Unfortunately most of the remnants of the mining town were demolished in the name of safety when the new access was developed. We signed in and headed up the Calamity Brook trail into full shoulder-season conditions—the part of fall where the days still pretend to be mild, but the nights have already moved on.
The first stretch follows Calamity Brook through open forest. It’s the sort of approach where you warm up without thinking about it: roots, minor rock steps, nothing demanding. As Flowed Lake draws closer, the terrain starts showing its Adirondack personality. The rock-hopping increases, the mud patches multiply, and the wooden planks are doing their best in places where “best” is still losing to the environment and time.
We had planned to push on to the Uphill Lean-to, but night arrived faster than our ambition, so we stopped at the Calamity Brook Lean-to. The temperature dropped the moment the sun vanished behind the ridge. It wasn’t a miserable night, but bringing a bivy sack or an overbag would have made things considerably more comfortable.
Day 2 – Calamity Brook → Feldspar → Skylight & Gray → Feldspar
A thin layer of frost coated everything at dawn. It was quiet, cold, and exactly the kind of morning that reminds you why shoulder season gear choices matter. We ate, packed, and moved out toward Lake Colden and the Opalescent.
The wooden ladder down to the dam is a routine obstacle for most hikers but a full dramatic production for Jasper. He does not negotiate “air where solid ground should be” with any confidence. He tried to convince us we were going the wrong way and tried to head toward Colden and pretend none of this was his problem, but a firm push, some harness-assistance, and a few seconds of canine indignation got him down the ladder.
Beyond the dam the trail passes through the Colden Campsites and then runs alongside the Opalescent for quite some distance—narrow rock slots, small drops, running water—and then climbs back into dense forest. Classic Adirondack terrain: nothing extreme, nothing flat, and never quite dry. Then the suspension bridge; Jasper was absolutely not a fan of this.
We reached the Feldspar Lean-to fairly early and found there were two bedrolls already set-up, this left us plenty of space. We dropped our overnight gear along with the bear canister, filtered some water and with much lighter packs headed for Skylight.
Skylight – creek-bed, verglas, and a summit that feels off-planet
From Feldspar up through Four Corners, the route turns into a mix of creek-bed, slab, and boulder staircase. Once we passed Lake Tear of the Clouds the Skylight trail became an active creek and the shaded areas had the first patches of verglas we encountered this year—thin enough to be invisible until you stepped on it, but slick enough to command respect. We stayed on our feet without spikes however. by treeline the decision was made that after October 1st, micro-spikes would be added to our packs. Full crampons are overkill this early, but the shoulder season doesn’t care what’s convenient.
The summit of Skylight itself is a broad, open dome—wind-scrubbed, bare rock, scattered cairns, and more space than you expect from the contour lines. Marcy dominates the view behind you, and the surrounding peaks feel much farther away than they actually are. It has that “remote” quality you only get on summits that aren’t cluttered with features. It’s simple terrain, but impressive in its simplicity.
Gray – short, steeper, and more work than it looks
We dropped back to Lake Tear of the Clouds and headed up the herd path we’d skirted earlier. Gray has a reputation for being steeper and more technical than its profile suggests, and it delivered exactly that. The path threads through dense balsam, up steps and short scrambles where the line isn’t immediately obvious. It isn’t long, but it demands attention.
For Jasper, this was the toughest part of the trip. The combination of awkward step-ups, slick roots, and the ladder down the featureless slab meant harness assists were mandatory in a few sections. It was manageable, but dramatic.
About six meters from the summit, we had our one minor incident. Emilie was crossing the final boulder when she tipped slightly backward and grabbed at a shrub for balance. The shrub was unhelpful, and she sliced her palm in the process. Cold weather and the number of small vessels in your hand make even a shallow cut look far worse than it is. We cleaned it, wrapped it, and moved on.
Gray’s summit, as usual, is more about the accomplishment than the view. There are partial views if you hunt for them, but nothing like Skylight. Still worth the effort.
Back to Feldspar – into the dark
The descent off Gray back past Lake Tear and the return to Feldspar crossed slightly into the dark. The terrain isn’t difficult, but it’s relentless. By the time we reached the lean-to it was fully dark. Headlamps lit the trail, the group already there was getting to sleep so ate a quick cold dinner quietly, and collapsed.
We reached the lean-to about an hour into full dark, headlamps throwing cones of light on the trail and breath showing up in white clouds. The party already in residence was clearly in “trying to sleep” mode, so it was a quiet, efficient round of cooking, sorting, and collapsing into bags.
Sometime in the night, Jasper abandoned his own setup and burrowed into Emilie’s sleeping bag. From the outside it looked like an overly lumpy down mummy bag; from the inside, presumably, it felt like a small space heater with paws. Given the temperatures, nobody complained.
Day 3 – Feldspar back to Upper Works
After a slow exit from our sleeping bags we had breakfast, and packed-up, we retraced our route back to Upper Works. The obstacles that had unnerved Jasper on the way in were now routine. He still moved cautiously, but the theatrics were gone. When we reached the car Jasper got an extra meal, then hopped in, curled up, and slept the entire way home.
Gear & Takeaways
- Bear canister: Carrying one until November 30th is still one of the big deterrents to multi-day three-season trips in this area, especially if you remember when it wasn’t required.
- Sleep system: Nights were notably colder than our “three-season” baseline. Bivy sacks or beefier bags plus modern insulated pads would have made a big difference. Our older Therm-a-Rest generation—thin or bulky, pick one—is officially on the chopping block in favour of the newer, warmer, more compact designs.
- Footing: Based on our experience and what others report for shoulder season, micro-spikes are now permanent residents in the pack from early October until snowshoe and crampons come out.
- Dog factor: Ladders, suspension bridges, and short scramble sections on Gray are all manageable with a confident, well-handled dog and a good harness, but they are obstacles. If your dog is anxious or lacks experience with that kind of terrain they can adapt, but you need to be twice as confident to help them through it.
Trip Summary
Distance 30.8km
Elevation Gained 1308m
Elevation Lost 1308m
Peaks Summited: Skylight, Gray Peak
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